Literature of Place
F05
Rebecca Godwin
Our aim here is to read, write, and talk about a sampling of (mostly) contemporary, (mostly) American literature grounded in place, with an eye to exploring how different writers incorporate landscape and setting into their work. How does place interact with character, for instance, or with plot, time, history, and language itself? We’ll consider such questions and try our hands at place-grounded writing, too. Among the novels we’ll read are works by Kent Haruf, Cormac McCarthy, and Toni Morrison, along with a wide selection of short fiction and essays by Dillard, Hoagland, and Didion, among others. Students will keep reading journals, give presentations, and write creatively and critically.